11 Dog Breeds Most Likely to Have Heart Failure

Worried about you dog having health issues? Heart problems are one of the most common illnesses dogs suffer from. Here’s a list of the dog breeds most prone to having heart failure.

1. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

This affectionate and playful dog can suffer from acquired mitral valve disease. Following a combination of factors, this disease eventually leads to congestive heart failure in dogs of this breed.

2. German Shepherd

A talented, intelligent and easily trained German Shepherd can be born with defects of the mitral valve. Because the leaflets do not work properly, the blood circulation does not either, which results in heart murmur and congestive heart failure.

3. Rottweiler

Another German breed, the Rottweiler has similar symptoms of the dog heart disease as the German Shepherd. The mitral valve is characterized by a defect upon birth and the leaflets fail to close which leads to the blood increasing pressure in the lungs.